• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.760-765
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• 1999

Changes in physiochemical properties of Sunchang sikhe kochujang, the most famous traditional kochujang, by red ginseng addition(1, 2 and 5% red ginseng on the total weight basis) were investigated. Measurements of physiochemical parameters such as reducing sugar content, alcohol content, amino type nitrogen content and color difference value were conducted during fermentation at 25oC for 120 days. Alcohol content was increased from the begining of fermentation, reaching at the highest level after 90 days of fermentation and then slowly reduced. Alcohol content of red ginseng kochujang was generally higher than that of control kochujang after 90 days of fermentation. Crude protein content of control kochujang and red ginseng kochujang were reduced during fermentation whereas amino type nitrogen content were gradually increased during fermentation. Amino type nitrogen content of red ginseng kochujang appeared to be slightly lower than that of the control kochujang. The reduction in amino type nitrogen content of red ginseng kochujang was negatively related to the level of red ginseng addition. Among color difference values, L and b value of both control kochujang and red ginseng kochujang were reduced by 30 days from the begining of fermentation and then started to be increased.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.389-392
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• 1994

Changes in free amino acids and amino nitrogen of traditional kochujang were investigated during 180 days of fermentation. Tested kochujang included Sunchang kochujang prepared with glutinous rice, Boeun kochujang prepared with barley, and Sachun kochujang prepared with wheat. Amino acids remarkably increased during fermentation were methionine, glutamic acid, isoleucine, leucine and tyrosine. However, regardless of kinds of kochujang major free amino acids were serine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid and proline. Glutamic acid was noted as the most contributing to the savory taste of kochujang in relation to the increasing ratio and content among tree amino acids during fermentaion. The correlation coefficent between totals of free amino acids and the contents of amino nitrogen were relatively high (0.87

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.1166-1174
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• 1997

This study was designed to investigate the changes in physicochemical and sensory characteristics of traditional kochujang during aging, which was prepared with a different meju fermented for various periods of time. The non-volatile organic acid contents in all samples gradually increased up to 90 days of fermentation. Kochujang prepared with a 40-day-fermented meju had $1.14{\sim}2.54$ times highter organic acid content after 90 days of aging as compared to other kochujang preparations. The most abundant free sugars were found to be glucose and fructose representing $82.27{\sim}100%$ of total free sugar contents in kochujang. 17 kinds of free amino acid including Glu, Asp and Met were found in traditional kochujang aged for 90 days. Glu was noted as the most contributing amino acid to the brothy taste of kochujang in the light of increasing ratio and content of Glu among free amino acids during aging. The total free amino acid contents of kochujang increased with an Increase in fermentation time of meju. Results of sensory evaluation revealed that kochujang prepared with a 40-day-fermented meju was best in terms of flavor and taste. These results suggest that kochujang prepared with a 40-day-fermented meju had the highest quality in terms of physicochemical and sensory characteristics of kochujang.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.1091-1097
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• 2002

In order to improve palatability and quality of traditional kochujang, kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa) was added to traditional kochujang fermented for 3 months. Physicochemical and microbial characteristics were investigated during fermentation at $30^{\circ}C$. Moisture contents of all treated kochujangs increased with increasing amount of kiwifruit added during fermentation. pH of kiwifruit-added kochujang was lower than that of the control kochujang, whereas no significant differences in titratible acidity was observed among all treatments. Crude protein and salt contents of kiwifruit-added kochujang were lower than those of the control, whereas no difference in crude fat contents were found. Ethanol and amino-nitrogen contents of 6 and 9% kiwifruit-added kochujang were higher than those of the control. Fructose contents of kiwi-added kochujangs were higher than that of the control. Major organic acids of kochujang were in the order of malic acid > citric acid > succinic acid > acetic acid > lactic acid > oxalic acid. Succinic acid level increased significantly during fermentation and was higher in kiwifruit-added kochujang than in the control. Bacterial cell counts of all treatments were not different, and viable cell count of yeast was slightly higher in kiwifruit-added kochujang only at the initial fermentation period. Sensory evaluation revealed that the addition of 9% kiwifruit was the optimum condition for improving kochujang quality.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.1035-1037
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• 2009

In this study we analyzed the dynamic changes in microbiota composition during kochujang fermentation at $30^{\circ}C$. During fermentation, the viable cell counts slowly increased and reached $3.2{\times}10^7$ for aerobic bacteria, $8.3{\times}10^3$ for yeast, and $1.4{\times}10^3$ CFU/mL for fungi after 60 days. Bacilli were found to be the most dominant microorganisms throughout the fermentation process. Using the culture dependent method Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus licheniformis, and Bacillus amyloquefaciens were found to be the main species during the early stages of fermentation; however, Bacillus pumilus and Bacillus stearothermophilus became the most dominant species during the late stage of fermentation. In contrast, when the polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) method was used Bacillus ehimensis was found to be the dominant species during the early stage of fermentation and Bacillus megaterium, B. pumilus, B. subtilis, and B. licheniformis were dominant in the ate stages. These results indicate various other Bacillus species rather than just B. subtilis and B. licheniformis might be involved in the fermentation of kochujang.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.913-918
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• 1997

Taste components of traditional kochujang prepared with various raw materials, were investigated during 90 days of fermentation. The major free sugars, maltose and glucose, were higher in malt added kochujang than others. The major organic acids of kochujang were succinic and citric acids, followed by formic acid. The contents of succinic acid in the kochujang decreased during fermentation, whereas that of citric acid increased. Purple sweet potato kochujang was highest in total free amino acids. The major free amino acids were glutamic acid, serine and aspartic acid. They remarkably increased during fermentation. Among the nucleotides and their related components in kochujang, cytidine-5-monophosphate was the most abundant component at the beginning of aging period, while hypoxanthine increased remarkably during fermentation. Kochujang prepared with purple sweet potato Chinese matrimony vine contained higher amounts of organic acids and nucleotides than the others.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.157-161
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• 1996

Physicochemical and microbial characteristics of traditional kochujang (fermented hot pepper-soybean paste) collected from 55 households at different regions were investigated. The traditional kochujang contained $46.71{\pm}5.98%$ moisture, $46.87{\pm}8.83%$ total sugar, $11.77{\pm}3.90%$ crude protein, $15.01{\pm}6.48%$ salt, $27.52{\pm}7.32%$ reducing sugar, $0.26{\pm}0.15%$ amino nitrogen and $2.69{\pm}2.35%$ ethanol. The pH and titrable acidity were $4.60{\pm}0.23$ and $27.26{\pm}10.98\;ml/10\;g$, respectively. The average water activity of traditional kochujang were $0.79{\pm}0.04$. The Hunter L, a, and b values of kochujang were $16.03{\pm}2.89$, $20.42{\pm}4.37$, and $9.71{\pm}1.92$, respectively. The viable cell counts of aerobic, anaerobic bacteria and yeasts in the traditional kochujang were $1.02{\times}10^8{\pm}1.29{\times}10^8\;CFU/g$, $2.24{\times}10^7{\pm}3.90{\times}10^7\;CFU/g$ and $5.90{\times}10^5{\pm}2.25{\times}10^6\;CFU/g$, respectively. The kochujang collected from various regions showed quite strong liquefying and saccharogenic amylase and protease at different level by samples.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Toxicology Conference
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• 2001.10a
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• pp.97-97
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• 2001

The antimutagenicities of methanol extracts from traditional and commercial kochujang (Korean Red Pepper Soybean Paste) and their ingredients were evaluated in Salmonella/mammalian microsome assay system. The traditional kochujang showed higher antimutagenic effects than the commercial one against Ν-methyl-Ν'-nitro-Ν-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) in the Salmonella typhimurium TA100, a base-pair substituted mutant strain.(omitted)

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.152-156
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• 1996

Taste components of traditional kochujang from 55 households were investigated. The major free sugars in traditional kochujang (fermented hot pepper-soybean paste) were glucose $(8.21{\pm}5.62%)$ and maltose $(6.95{\pm}7.27%)$ and the minors were fructose $(1.88{\pm}1.27%)$ and sucrose $(1.05{\pm}1.21%)$. Succinic $(901.83{\pm}826.23\;mg%)$, citric $(484.16{\pm}242.89\;mg%)$ and lactic $(381.63{\pm}367.88\;mg%)$ acids in traditional kochujang were found in large amounts and acetic, oxalic, and formic acids in smaller amounts. The traditional kochujang contained large amounts of proline $(10.66{\pm}6.27\;mg%)$, glutamic acid $(9.27{\pm}10.97\;mg%)$, aspartic acid $(9.14{\pm}5.84\;mg%)$, lysine $(6.19{\pm}6.66\;mg%)$, and serine $(5.72{\pm}3.79\;mg%)$, and the total free amino acid content was 64.35mg%. Among the nucleotides and their related compounds in traditional kochujang, CMP $(42.90{\pm}28.16\;mg%)$ were the most abundant major compounds and hypoxanthine $(6.86{\pm}3.45\;mg%)$, IMP $(5.59{\pm}5.84\;mg%)$, inosine $(4.58{\pm}6.91\;mg%)$ and GMP$(3.36{\pm}3.93\;mg%)$ were found in smaller amounts, and AMP and UMP were also found in minor.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.527-533
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• 2008

For preparation of high quality kochujang by the traditional fermentation method, 4 types of kochujang were prepared with brick- or grain-shaped meju fermented with different strains (Aspergillus sojae, Aspergillus oryzae+Bacillus subtilis). After 100 days of fermentation at $25^{\circ}C$, the moisture, pH, salt, and ethanol content of kochujang were 40.52-43.20%, 4.71-4.82, 8.7-9.1%, and 0.75-0.94%, respectively, showing slight differences according to the strains and shapes of meju. Titratable acidities were slightly increased for up to 60 days of fermentation. The amino-type nitrogen content of kochujang prepared with brick-shaped meju (A. oryzae+B. subtilis) was the highest (164.20 mg%) among all of the kochujang types. The redness (a) value of kochujang prepared with brick-shaped meju (A. sojae) were higher (19.08) than those of other treatments (18.37-18.59). Sensory evaluation of kochujang prepared with grain-shaped meju (A. sojae) showed the highest scores for color and overall acceptability, 'at $6.43{\pm}1.87$ and $6.29{\pm}1.44$, respectively. It was estimated that high quality kochujang could be made by using meju fermented with selected strains.